Child delivered in midst of floods

KNOWING they would be flooded in at their Brightview home for some time, Kristie and Andy Wieland decided to pop down to their corner shop for supplies.

It was about 9am on Tuesday January 11, at the peak of the recent flood crisis.

Roads close to their home, located about 30 minutes drive west from Ipswich, were quickly becoming engulfed by floodwaters, transforming Brightview into an island community.

As if the floodwaters weren't enough, Mrs Wieland experienced something she wasn't expecting for another two weeks when she arrived back home.

Her waters broke.

“I won't tell you what I said,” she laughed when recounting her amazing story.

“I panicked for a couple of minutes, but then I didn't really see the point of panicking because I've done it before.”

With the rain hammering down, it soon became apparent to the couple that their second baby was going to be born at home.

Ambulance officials were constantly talking to Mr Wieland but with no access by roads and the conditions too bad to fly a helicopter in, they had to deliver their baby son then and there, with the help of neighbours.

Callum Jack Wieland, now three weeks old, was born at 4.54pm.

The ‘birthing team' used a sterilised shoe lace to tie off the baby's umbilical cord.

“Once you're in that situation, you have to do what you have to do,” Mr Wieland said.

“We were lucky there were no complications.”

The family was airlifted to St Andrew's Ipswich Private Hospital the next day.

Their story was quickly picked up by magazines, newspapers and websites all over the world.

The couple – with baby Callum and 22-month-old daughter Keonie in their arms – said the help of their neighbours Joan Broomhall, Karen Reck-Edwards and Tara Edwards was a godsend.

“Luckily enough, we've had children before and were able to help,” Mrs Broomhall said.

Mrs Reck-Edwards said she hoped the experience would put her 19-year-old daughter off having kids for a little while yet.